I never could quite understand why it costs so much to do research on the simplest issues until my loved ones moved near a city with many research projects. Few volunteers will perform mundane, ordinary and uncomfortable activities. If you pay them they will come.
The best paying gig took 12-days in a hospital. Through that time, Sheila, my son Mert’s wife, went to the hospital early and left late in the evening. During the day researchers studied her food intake and weight changes. She could do whatever she wanted during her days at the hospital room: eat, read, nap, watch TV, chat on the phone or work on a hobby. For this holiday, the research grant paid her $2,000 to monitor her digestive system.
The catch? She had to agree to have a gastric tube inserted up her nose and down to her stomach through the study.
Doesn’t sound appealing, but still for $2,000 I wanted to volunteer – I was too old.
In another study Sheila received a smart watch that reminded her to stop at various times through the day to answer survey questions and evaluate her well-being. The watch failed to prompt as often as planned, but the study still paid the promised remuneration.
Mert, participated in several studies examining the impact of the gut biotics on mood and mental health. He said, “I couldn’t help but laugh when I put a small dime-sized sample of feces in a test-tube for study.”
In another study the research assistant came to the home, wrapped Mert’s arm in a blood pressure cuff tight enough to cut off his circulation. After a bit, he released it and recorded Mert’s rate of recovery and took notes on his blood circulation.
The absolute worst experience as a guinea pig, Mert shared with a friend. The two agreed to participate in a metabolic study. Mert knew from the outset he had agreed to allowing the lab to removed a tiny sample of his muscle tissue. Initially, the scientist took measurements of his resting metabolism, height and weight. For several weeks Mert and friend recorded food intake. For the final visit, they answered more questions. He drank a glucose drink, followed each half hour with blood draws to measure his metabolism.
Then it was time to harvest his muscles.
“They gave me an anesthetic to numb the area, picked up the knife and began cutting. I fainted,” Mert said. (Just as he did when he was a kid and his sister gashed her leg.)
“That doctor disappeared a lot longer than I expected after he was done. Perhaps he needed to steel his nerves!” Mert mused.
His friend endure all the same tests with no problem. “Apparently he has more padding and a higher pain tolerance,” Mert said wistfully. “I am mighty glad I did not agree to the part with more than one tissue extraction. The person in that room was screaming!”
For less money and stress, Mert helped improve prosthetics, “I walked back and forth across the room, across a sandpit or stood up from a seated position.”
One evening Mert and Sheila participated together and earned $100. “We stood outside for 45 minutes after sunset evaluating the brightness of a car’s light bar indicating that the self-driving vehicle had stopped and pedestrians could cross the street.” he said.
The extra income pays bills, provides evenings out and Mert says, “the studies give me greater insight into my own life and what goes into a healthy life.”
And now I know ‘why’ new understandings and developments cost so much.